Attempt
to arrest Tsikata fails
Government in urgent meeting on Monday
Govt won’t plead for erring students
Akufo Addo should be charged with causing financial loss to the state
New
motor insurance tariffs by June
Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - The inter-denominational service at the Asbury
Dunwell Church, in Accra, was nearly marred on Sunday when two policemen in
mufti attempted to arrest Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of the
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
The action
of the policemen, who were believed to have trailed Mr Tsikata to the church,
disrupted the service for sometime, and compelled the head pastor, Rev
Amoateng, and the elders to intervene. The leadership was said to have appealed
to the policemen to allow Mr Tsikata to take part in the worship after which he
would make himself available to the police. The policemen eventually left after
that intervention.
Mr Tsikata
said in an interview that soon after he arrived at church at about 10.40 am, an
usher walked to him to inform him that two young men were looking for him. He
said as soon as he stepped out of the chapel, one of the men walked to him and
asked him whether he knew what was happening.
He said he
recognized them as policemen because “they were often with the Director of
Public Prosecutions and actively involved in the recent court cases.” Mr
Tsikata said when he told the policemen that he did not know what was
happening, one of them said, “we are to re-arrest you.” He said the policemen
did not tell him why they wanted to arrest him, but only said to him, “we are
acting on instructions.”
Mr Tsikata
said he insisted that he could not accompany them out immediately because he
was in church to worship. He said he assured them that he would make himself
available to the police after the service, just as he always made himself
available when criminal charges were levelled against him at the law courts.
“At a
stage, one of the policemen stood at the entrance of the church to prevent me
from entering,” he said. According to Mr Tsikata, the action of the policemen
drew the attention of the pastor and his elders, who intervened and pleaded
with the policemen that Mr Tsikata will make himself available to the police
after the service.
Mr Tsikata
said after the service, he contacted his lawyer, Prof E.V.O. Dankwa, who told
him that he was informed on telephone that he (Mr Tsikata) would be needed at
the Police Headquarters today.
Mr Tsikata,
who was accused of willfully causing financial loss to the state, has battles
against the government in the past two weeks. He first won a case he sent to
the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the Fast Track Court.
The Supreme Court ruled in Mr Tsikata’s favour by a 5-4 majority.
Last
Friday, an Accra High Court upheld a preliminary objection raised by Mr
Tsikata’s lawyers who argued that the charge leveled against their client was
unconstitutional.
Reacting to
the incident in an interview, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, government Spokesman said
the government had neither issued instructions nor authorised anyone to effect
the arrest of Mr Tsikata.
“This is a
government that has tremendous admiration of and respect for the rights of the
people and would therefore not condone or sanction the willful or unjustifiable
infringement of the rights of anyone,” he stressed.
He
indicated that government had commenced an urgent investigation into the matter
in order to get to the bottom of it and thus positions itself to act
appropriately based on factual and accurate information in its possession. –
Daily Graphic.
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Government in urgent meeting on Monday
Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - Key members of Government are expected to meet
the President on Monday to brief him first hand about the fact that ‘his back’
had been badly mutilated by the dazzling foot-works of the man who was once
known as a financial wizard.
Even as
operation Bimbilla hits the home stretch, the impact of the favourable
judgement secured by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata and his born again counsel Prof E.V.O.
Dankwa has caught the entire Government reeling. Top legal minds have been
invited to confer with the President on the way forward and advise on how to
deal with the nullification of the Fast Track Court, which is central to the
NPP’s Golden Age of Progress Policy. The team includes Mr Agyeman, a respected
legal mind.
The
implications of the ruling are devastating, and an imminent review may be what
may be engaging the legal minds that will meet at the Castle today. The issue
of the replacement of Nana Akufo-Addo is on the cards and Chronicle has
gathered that the prevailing sense is that Nana may be doing less consultation
with other lawyers. Nana has often assured his colleagues in Government that
once he takes a case on he is certain to win.
There is
also the report that the opinion of the 10th judge Mr Justice
Lamptey, the only one missing at the panel that gave the decisive ruling cannot
be taken for granted at all. The lawful option may be the courage to nominate
four more judges who may have views that are similar to the thinking of
Government. It is normal exercise, and perfectly defensible. Nana Addo is,
however, slated to go up the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - The Ghanaian
Chronicle.
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Police rap courts for releasing suspects of first degree felony cases
Bolgatanga
(Upper East Region) 11 March 2002 - The Police in the Upper East Region have
said the practice where the courts release suspected criminals on bail
frustrates and demoralizes them in their duties.
It said it
is disturbing that when the police manage to arrest suspected armed robbers and
murderers, some of whom have previous records, the courts release them on bail
which enables them to go on to commit more crimes. Sources close to the
Regional Police Command said in separate interviews that there is the need for
circumspection on the part of the courts in granting bail to such criminals
after the police have braved all odds to effect their arrest.
The sources
cited the case in which an assembly member of Banse, a boarder town near Bawku,
was alleged to have instigated the murder of four Burkinabes and the burning of
their vehicle in the wake of last year’s communal conflict at Bawku. They also
cited an alleged armed robbery incident at Kareminga on the Bolga-Tamale road
during which the suspects were arrested but were granted bail by a Bolgatanga
Circuit Court.
Demonstrating
their frustrations at various instance in which the courts have granted bail to
hardened suspects, the source said “such decisions are strange, more so when
the police have enough evidence for prosecution. We are not in the least happy
about the situation.”
They argued
that looking at the sensitive nature of some of the cases and the threats of
reprisals from the other parties, the courts should assist the police to deal
with such criminals without undue delays. “It is our duty to enforce the law
once we have enough evidence to do so and we are not pleased with the situation
where the same offences are repeated after bail has been granted by the
courts,” the police stressed.
When
contacted about the granting of bails to criminals, a source close to the
Attorney-General’s Department at Bolgatanga, explained that in certain cases
“bail should not be granted at the initial stages of offences, such as murder
and armed robbery since they are first degree offences.” “Bails should only be
granted if there is the likelihood of very unreasonable delay in the trial of
the accused person,” the source explained.
The source
said that would mean that the prosecution will have time to conduct its
investigation without undue interference of the suspect or people related to
the offence. The source categorically pointed out that on murder cases, circuit
courts are not supposed to grant bail saying, “they don’t have the jurisdiction
to try those cases,”
“I agree
with the concerns expressed by the police and I am not happy about that too
because, things must be done in the proper perspective and that, once the
superior courts have the jurisdiction to try such cases, they should have the
power to grant bail to the accused persons,” the source said. It said, if there
are grounds for an unreasonable delay for the accused to be tried, then, bail
should be granted, adding, “generally, I don’t feel happy about the granting of
bails to hardened criminals.” – Daily Graphic.
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Bimbilla
(Northern Region) 11 March 2000 - A delegation of former NDC Members of
Parliament at the weekend left Accra for Bimbilla to lend support to the
party’s campaign team in its bid to retain the Bimbilla seat.
The group,
which is being led by its Chairman, Mr J.H. Owusu-Acheampong, former Minister
of Agriculture, includes Messrs Evans Ahorsey, Dominic Azumah, Collins Dauda
and Franklin Aheto, all former Members of Parliament on the ticket of the NDC.
In a
statement prior to the group’s departure, Mr Ahorsey said the group is
duty-bound to work to revive the political fortunes of the NDC and brighten its
prospects for recapturing power in the 2004 elections. “We the members of this
Association consider the Bimbilla bye-election as not only crucial to the
numbers of our party in Parliament, but also as both a preparatory and testing
grounds for the party in the run-up to the 2004 elections,” Mr Ahorsey said.
The former
NDC MPs who would be in Bimbilla until the electoral is concluded and the
outcome determined by the Electoral Commission. According to Mr Ahorsey, “we
would also take active part in the party’s campaign in the constituency. –
Daily Graphic.
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According
to Public Agenda sources at the Government House, the Director of Transport
recommended the involvement of the Bureau of National Investigation and the
Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police to trace the vehicles,
which “were thought to be the ex-President.” The missing vehicles were listed
as two Toyota cars, a Toyota Cressida, and two Opel cars.
The
memorandum, according to Public Agenda sources, also recommended a thorough
check at the Vehicle Examination and Licensing Department (VELD) to establish
the ownership of two other vehicles which are suspected to have been
re-registered. They are Proton Saloon Cars.
Last week,
following media revelation on the number of cars the ex-President took away,
seven were returned by ex-Warrant Officer Patrick Kuntor, Jerry Rawlings’
bodyguard, who was at the centre of a stage managed armed robbery attack, which
informed the former junta head to abandon an international conference in
Botswana late last year. According to the Director of Transport’s memorandum, a
check with Kuntor could not determine the whereabouts of the five cars listed
above, hence the recommendation to involve the Police in tracing them.
The
Director of Transport was said to have listed Toyota vehicle number GR 5876C as
also missing. The car was formerly used by the late RSM Tetteh, a former
bodyguard of Rawlings, when he was Head of State. A recommendation from the
Transport Director urges the Chief of Staff to help trace the vehicle.
The memo,
according to the Agenda sources, listed Toyota Pick-up number GW1181Q as being
in the custody of Ex-WO1 Kuntor as a gift from Rawlings. The Transport Director
recommended immediate action to retrieve it. A letter from the Office of the
ex-President’s to the Chief of Staff delivered by Kuntor said: Please take note
that the Toyota Pick-up with registration number GW1181Q was assigned to
Warrant Officer Kuntor by the transitional team.”
Officials
at the Castle deny this claim. “The transitional team did not give out any
cars, a furious Castle spokesperson told this reporter.
Meanwhile
the Transport Director’s memo spoke of a Peugeot 205 Caravan, which was sold to
Warrant Officer Mensah, years ago. It also hinted of an ISUZU Trooper, which is
being used by the ex-President’s Mother, Madam Agbotui, but it is not known
whether or not it belongs to the state.
According
to the Transport Director, most of the vehicles returned were not in very good
shape and that an inspection on a VW Transporter with registration number
GR6822Q showed that it had been cannibalized at its return to the Castle pool.
The vehicle had lost a radio/tape player, fan belt, power steering pump,
crankshaft pulley and idler bearing. Its fuel tank and oil filters were
partially loose, an indication that they had been tampered with. The front and
rear brake pads were worn out while the jack, wheel spanner, and spare tyres
were deficient.
A source
told the Agenda that the Transitional Team did not allocate all those cars to
the ex-President. They just vanished from the Castle pool when Rawlings left
the Castle as Constitutional President of Ghana. – Public Agenda
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Ho (Volta Region) 11 March 2002 - Members of Tender Boards, either in Parliament or at the District level, take bribe from lobbyists before approving their tenders. Madam Rosemary Stella Ankomah, former Member of Parliament for Wassa Mpohor, made this disclosure at a forum at Ho in the Volta Region.
She stated that corruption was high within committees of Parliament and Tender Boards of the district assemblies to the extent that “being a member of a committee or a tender board is highly sought for.” Madam Ankomah was speaking at a Training of Trainers Workshop for district assembly members and aspirants from the Christian Mothers’ Association, a Catholic Non-Governmental Organization.
Under the theme, ‘Women in decision-making-effective contribution to development’, the four-day workshop was organized by Konrad Adrenauer Foundation (KAF) for 40 participants drawn from Catholic dioceses in Jasikan, Keta and Akatsi Districts in the Volta region, Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Greater Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region.
Madam Ankomah did not mince words when she admitted that she was bribed on several occasions as a member of Parliamentary Select Committee (which she refused to disclose) and a member of the District Assembly Tender Board by lobbyists who wanted their deals to go through.
She said that politics had become so highly competitive with elements of corruption and violence, that it had become unattractive to women. She said that there was the need to sensitize and empower them through extensive education to take part in public life in all spheres of endeavour.
Madam Ankomah pointed out that power of inequalities, disadvantages and constraints were reproduced in modern political, economic and social realms where women were discriminated against and under-represented in public life. She charged Christian women not to be deterred by the rot and enter public life to change the dirty game associated with politics by imparting Christian values in the work of Parliament and district assemblies.
In his remarks, Most Reverend Francis Lodonu, Catholic Bishop of the Ho diocese, challenged Christian women to embark on collaborative partnership and alliances with other women groups to fight the social canker of corruption, which had eaten deep into the fibre of the Ghanaian society.
He noted that the swelling of numbers of women in Parliament and district assemblies would not solve the situation but through effective collaborative effort. - The Ghanaian Times
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 11 March 2002 - The government has warned that it will no longer intervene for students of tertiary institutions who are punished by their authorities for any misconduct. “Neither the President nor the government will make it a hobby to be pleading time and again with university administrations on behalf of erring students.”
The Senior Minister, Mr J.H. Mensah, who gave the warning at the 32nd Congregation of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) at the weekend, advised student s to be conversant with the rules and regulations of the various institutions into which they have voluntarily enrolled and abide by them always.
In all, 2,300 graduands of 1,546 men and 654 women were awarded with degrees and diplomas. They included 141 diploma, 1,966 first degrees and 193 post-graduates including two PhD holders. A total of 23 graduands of 18 males and five females received first class honours. Among those at the function were the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was the Guest of Honour; Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, the Diplomatic Corps and well-wishers and relatives of the Graduands.
Mr Mensah said that the President’s plea to the authorities of UCC last year to pardon nine students who were found to have played culpable role in the destruction of the 31st congregation last March, should neither be misrepresented as an interference in the affairs of the university nor support for indiscipline among students.
The plea, he explained, arose out of a strong desire to ensure peace and effective teaching and learning on the campus. He thanked the authorities for accepting the President’s plea and advised students of tertiary institutions not to consider the intervention as victory over university authorities but as a challenge to be of good behaviour and to respect authority.
The Senior Minister, who represented the President, called on the country’s universities to critically examine their curricula with the view of restructuring the existing courses to meet national development aspirations. He charged beneficiaries of the students loan to pay back their loans to enable others to benefit from the scheme.
The Asantehene noted that the discipline that seemed to characterize the management of academic and administrative affairs in schools was most worrying. He therefore asked alumni of secondary and tertiary institutions, the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Students Representative Council (SRCs) as well as the education and school authorities to task themselves with finding solutions to the problems.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said that for regulations of institutions not to be allowed to become ineffective, they should be revived and adopted to the peculiarities of modern life. He urged all Ghanaians to heed to the Vice-President’s call to find an immediate solution to the seeming surmountable problem of indiscipline in the society. The Asantehene pledged to support the university to achieve greater academic laurels and urged the graduands to work hard with diligence and skills, complemented by great exercise of discipline in all their social and academic work.
The Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor E.A. Obeng, said that the university had taken steps to vigorously promote programmes that would position the institutions as a Centre of Excellence to provide integrated and modern information communication technology and aggressively develop linkages with both local and foreign institutions among others. - The Ghanaian Times
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Akufo Addo should be charged with causing financial loss to the state
Accra
(Greater Accra) 11th March 2002 - Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo who
once contested President J.A. Kufuor for the NPP Presidential slot should be
charged for causing financial loss to the state.
By the
judgement of the Delta Foods case which had the former Acting President and
still the Speaker of Parliament as their lawyer, the Supreme Court ruled that
the Government should pay ¢45 million a day as an interest on judgement debt
until the money is fully paid.
Ghana's
Attorney General and Minister of Justice sought to overturn the judgement in an
American Court but failed. In this wise Nana Akufo-Addo will not claim ignorant
of the whole transaction. As at Sunday the debt owed to the Delta Foods was
running to over $10 million.
The
"Ghanaian Voice" has gathered that the NDC government, which is not
known for such democratic credentials as the NPP had even paid part of the
money to the Delta Foods including the legal fees of the Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey
who was and still is the counsel for the Delta Foods. "Everyday that the
money is not paid HIPC - Ghana continues to accumulate ¢45m a day as interest.”
By not advising the government to pay the debt Hon. Akufo-Addo is doing
disservice to his party and the state as whole. - The Ghanaian Voice
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The Attorney-General and the litany of legal blunders
Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - "Better be unborn than untaught, for
ignorance is the root of misfortune" Plato.
The
statement probably summarizes the situation in which presently our country
finds itself in relation to what constitutes "the due process of the
law."
It is this,
which has resulted in the various negative reactions against some learned
members of the highest court of the land since the decision in Tsatsu Tsikata's
case was announced.
Since the
justices of the Supreme Court are yet to give their views on the matter, it is
the considered view of this paper that the comments, which have been made so
far are a figment of speculation. Whatever way one looks at it, the ruling
definitely has serious ramifications not only for the Judiciary but also the
investment and economic agenda of the country.
But for us,
our interest so far lies in how the state has lost so far to Tsatsu Tsikata. We
are doing this to demonstrate to all that it is not the judges who must be
blamed but the government itself working through the Attorney-General and
Minister of Justice.
There is no
doubt that the Attorney-General and his team has displayed such incompetence
that the Attorney-General must bear full political responsibility and bow out
before he receives the wrath of the President. It is surprising how the
Attorney General and his team could commit blunders in relation to simple legal
procedures since the principle of the rule of law involves procedural
limitations.
But before
indicating the procedural matters that we are complaining about, let us trace
the genesis of Tsatsu Tsikata's case. Following a forensic audit report of the
GNPC, it was discovered that Mr Tsatsu Tsikata allegedly circumvented laid-down
corporate objectives of his outfit, when he by-passed the board and on his own
committed the GNPC to guarantee a loan.
Tsatsu allegedly paid out this loan plus interest, which adversely
affected the financial status of GNPC and caused a loss to the state.
Tsatsu
first appeared before a Circuit Court where proceedings were artificially
terminated. He was then arraigned before a Fast Track Court (FTC) on a charge
for ‘Willfully causing Financial loss of ¢2.15 billion to the state.’
Tsatsu then
filed a motion at the Supreme Court on February 11, seeking constitutional
interpretation in respect of the FTC because in his view, the 'Constitution, in
making provision for the administration of Justice did not establish any court
known as FTC". He argued that since the FTC was not known to the
Constitution, it could not try him.
By a
majority of 5-4 the Supreme Court upheld the position of Tsatsu. However, the
A-G immediately held a press conference and announced the government's
intention to seek a review. In the meantime, he also the next day arraigned
Tsatsu before another High Court where he again raised a question of the
constitutionality or otherwise of the charge against him. This again, has been
upheld by the High Court, which had Justice Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge
sitting as an Additional Judge.
Having
given the genesis of the case The Ghanaian Voice wish to bring the attention of
readers to the following procedural blunders have been committed by the A-G,
which has caused the government such an embarrassment if not total humiliation.
First: The summons which ordered Tsatsu's
appearance before the FTC was issued in the name of the President and not the
Republic. How could it be forgotten that by the Courts Act justice must be
exercised in the name of the Republic and not the President? Did the A-G's
office not know that by summoning Tsatsu in the name of the President, the
independence of the judiciary was likely to be compromised? How come that this
could not be detected by the whole machinery of the office the A-G? Was the A-G
expecting us to believe him when he said that this error could not be traced to
his office?
Second:
There has been inconsistency in the charges, which have been preferred against
Tsatsu Tsikata. That is, charges against Tsatsu Tsikata have been changed for
more than five times.
It started
with a charge of (i) "willfully causing financial loss to the state,"
then to a charge of (ii) intentionally causing loss to public property",
again to (iii) "carelessly causing loss to public property" and later
changed at the Fast Track Court (FTC) for (iv) "causing financial loss to
the state" and once again changed to (v) "willfully causing Financial
loss to the state" before the FTC that has now been declared
unconstitutional.
Third: The
forum for trial has also been changed from the Circuit Court to the "illegal"
Fast Track Court and now to a 'normal High Court".
Fourth:
That legal luminaries like the A-G and his Deputy could not contemplate the
possibility of somebody challenging the constitutionality of the FTC's beats
our imagination since as in law as in life all things are possible'.
Finally,
the Voice thinks this is the mother of all the blunders - the inability of the
prosecution to detect that the charge, which had been preferred against Tsatsu
was illegal! The court in its ruling said that the law dealing with the offence
allegedly committed by Mr Tsatsu came into force on July 6, 1993, but the
statement of offence said that Mr Tsikata committed the act "in or about
February 1993.
Listen to
the trial judge "I must tell the Director of Public Prosecutions that, our
laws are stable and under no stretch of imagination could in or about February
mean July." What a shattering disgrace! No doubt a desperate and a
last-minute request by the DPP to make an amendment to the charge, just before
the court’s ruling was not entertained by the court.
It is in
the light of the above that the paper is of the view that the only thing which
must be done to save President Kufuor's government from receiving more legal
blows and such technical knock-outs is to move Nana Akufo-Addo and his deputy
from that place if they do not see the need to resign honourably. - The
Ghanaian Voice
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - In a message to commemorate International
Women’s Day which fell last Friday, the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana
(Netright) and the Ark Foundation Ghana have asked the Ministry of Justice and
the Attorney-General, and the Police Service to take the recent spate of
wife-murder reported in the news as seriously as they do for other crimes.
In a
statement to commemorate International Women’s day, Netright, under the hand of
its convenor, Professor Takyiwa Manuh, also urged the Interior Ministry, and
Regional and District Security Councils to retrieve from the general public all
firearms and ammunition that should not be in public hands, and to devise strategies
to register and monitor the operations of arms dealers.
“What
happens to women in their households is not a private matter to be left to the
deadly whims and caprices of husbands and partners, but must be a matter for
deep reflection by the state and its agencies, particularly the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs and educational authorities, women’s organizations, civil
society groups, the churches the media and traditional leaders,” the Netright
said. Netright rejects the view that foreign films and influences account for
violence against women and girls, saying the problem “‘appear too deep-seated
to be blamed only on foreign films and influences.”
Reports of
wife-murder in some newspapers over the past few weeks have brought to the fore
what many believe to be an old problem that is only now receiving media
attention. It is not too clear whether wife-murder is now going to share the
media lime-light with crimes like rape, defilement, physical abuse and sexual
harassment, which have been reported fairly consistently by some tabloids for
some time now.
According
to Netright, these acts attest to the patriarchal character of our societies,
which emphasizes the control, and subjection of women and views women as
property. The network of women’s groups also raised some concerns about
national economy policy-making and stressed that the goal of all governmental
policies and actions must be to transform existing gender hierarchies and
inequalities and promote social, political and economic principles of equality.
“Through
their unpaid and paid labour, women as workers, mothers, wives, sisters and
daughters in rural and urban areas have worked diligently and creatively to
ensure the reproduction of present and future generations,” Netright said of
Ghanaian women and congratulated them for their diverse contributions to
national development.
Ark
Foundation Ghana, a women rights organization has also condemned the increasing
level of violence against women, especially spousal murders saying that
available “statistics only point to the fact that violence against women is
very real at home, in our country, and taking different dimensions as the years
go by.”
“The Ark
calls upon the Security Agencies to step up efforts to check the illegal
proliferation of arms in the country, invest in the registration of legal arms
and embark on safety education for users of firearms,” said the statement
signed by the Foundations Executive Director, Angela Dwamena-Aboagye.
A study by
the Gender Centre in Ghana in 1999 indicates that one in three women have
experienced physical violence from the hands of an intimate partner.
Twenty-seven per cent of women had been sexually assaulted in their life-time
and eight per cent of women had been raped. Twenty-one per cent of women were prevented
from going to work, selling or making money for themselves.
On how to
solve the issue of violence against women and girls, Dwamena-Aboagye suggested
that government, through the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, comes
out with a nationally coordinated plan of action that “adopts a holistic and
multi-agency approach.” The Foundation also asked the government to speed up
the process to get the country a National Domestic Violence law. - Public
Agenda.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - The Chairman of the Council of State, Prof Alex
Kwapong has bemoaned the lack of visionary leadership in Africa. He said this
at the launching of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) in Accra last
Thursday. The aim of the initiative is to develop motivated, values-based, effective
and community-spirited young leaders across Africa.
The
fellowship honours executives and professionals between the ages of 35-50 who
have achieved significant success in their chosen fields of endeavour. This
inaugural class in Africa will meet five times over a 3-year period and will
undertaken a self-designed community services project.
The
stagnation in Africa’s development has been blamed on inept and corrupt
leadership. “We are all excited about the launch of the programme in Ghana and
we are confident that fellows will make a significant impact on reversing the
leadership crises in Africa,” said Peter Reihing, a founding member of the ALI,
and President of Technoserve.
Even though
there is a wind of change blowing through Africa, there is still much to be
done as far as obtaining honest pragmatic leaders is concerned. Today, Zimbabwe
is at the brink of civil unrest, because one man thinks he must remain
President forever. - High Street Journal
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - There were strong indications last week that
Motor Insurance rates may go up by June. The indications emerged as the
technical committee on motor set up by the Ghana Insurance Association (GIA)
submitted its report to the National Insurance Commission (NIC).
It would be
recalled that the NIC’s minimum motor insurance rates were first introduced in
July 1994. The rates were intended
to be
reviewed every two years in line with changing markets and economic
circumstances.
The High
Street Journal (HSJ) learnt that the last review was in 1998, but in May 2001,
GIA aware of rocketing claims costs in relation to premium income, high
operating expenses and the need to improve upon the services of the motor
insurance industry, requested the Technical Committee on motor to review the
1998 rates and recommend to it realistic economic rates to sustain the
portfolio.
According
to the report, motor insurance commands about 50 per cent of the insurance
business in Ghana. It is the most patronized product which given our peculiar
economic circumstances, has become a very expensive business venture. It stated
that even though the increases in third party premiums may be considered
“sharp” or harsh, it must be understood that 200 per cent increase is the
barest the industry can offer just to stay afloat.
However,
comprehensive premiums may retain the prevailing rates despite inclusion of
additional perils and the enhanced benefits whiles Third Party Property Damage
(TPPD) risk for year 2002 may range from 58 per cent increase. – High Street
Journal.
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